Sole and shoe positioning device



May 27, 1941. w. M. ALTENBURG SOLE AND SHOE POSITIONING DEVICE Filed Mardh 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AMA/70R. walk. 02

May 27, 1941. 1 w. M. ALTENBURG SOLE AND SHOE POSITIONING DEVICE Filed March 5, 1940 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 27, 1941 SOLE AND SHOE POSITIONING DEVICE William M. Altenburg, Hamilton, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New J ers ey Application March 5, 1940, Serial No. 322,352

17 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and more particularly to the positioning of shoes and soles relatively to each other and the invention is illustrated herein with reference to machines for use in cement attaching soles to shoes.

A great many of the womens shoes made today are provided with a so-called short outsole which extends only a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe and terminates in a straight edge face at its rear or heelward end, these outsoles usually being employed with special heels of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,121,172, granted June 21, 1938, on an application filed in the name of Fred C. Lovejoy. As shown in that patent, th'is heel, which is known to the trade as a Breastlock heel, is provided at its upper breast portion with a transverse groove or slot adapted to receive the rear end of the short outsole and it is also provided, above this groove, with a forwardly projecting lip which is arranged to overlie the rear portion of the outsole and thus reinforce the joint between the outsole and heel.

A short outsole of the type referred to has no heel portion which can be engaged and used in positioning the outsole and shoe relatively to each other preparatory to the attachment of the sole to the shoe bottom, for example, by cement and, consequently, the problem of properly positioning such an outsole and its shoe prior to the attachment of the outsole to the shoe bottom has become of considerable importance.

An important object of my invention is to provide an improved device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which extends only a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe preparatory to the attachment of the outsole to the shoe bottom.

To this end the invention, as herein illustrated, provides an improved positioning device comprising a member adapted to embrace an end portion of a shoe and to remain in such relation therewith, said member carrying means constructed and arranged to engage the inner and outer surfaces of a short outsole and maintain the outsole in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom until it has been attached to the shoe. As illustrated, the shoe embracing member is preferably composed of flexible resilient material such as fiber or the like and is molded or otherwise shaped so that it will embrace the rear or heel portion of the shoe and remain in such relation with the shoe by its own friction or, in other words, by the friction caused by the pressure or tension created in distorting the resilient member sufficiently to permit it to embrace the shoe, thereby causing the member to become "portable with the shoe.

As herein illustrated, the means carried by the resilient member for engaging the inner and outer surfaces of the short outsole and maintaining it in a predetermined position relatively to the shoe bottom comprises a clamping member projecting forwardly of the resilient member and provided with jaws arranged to grip the rear end of the outsole between its opposite edge faces, the clamping means or jaws being spring actuated and operable manually to grip the outsole.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the positioning device is provided with means for positioning it heightwise of the heel portion of the shoe, this means comprising, as herein illustrated, an inwardly turned flange on the lower edge of the resilient member arranged to engage the shoe bottom and thereby determine the heightwise position of the device relatively to the shoe. Moreover, further means is provided for limiting the separation or spread of the forward portions of the resilient member when it is mounted on the shoe so that it may be used on successive shoes without losing its shape or diminishing its shoe embracing pressure or friction. This limiting means also serves to provide a support for the clamping jaws and, as illustrated in one embodiment of the invention, such support may consist of a flat member of fibrous material secured to the flange or, as illustrated in a modification of the invention, it may consist of elongated fastening members spanning the forward ends of the flange and preventing further separation thereof as Well as providing means for holding the clamping means on said resilient member. Moreover, in the latter construction the clamping means may, if desired, be further supported by engagement with the flange itself.

With the above and other objects and features in view, the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will thereafter be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the positioning device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of the device;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale through the clamping means on the device;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device embracing a shoe and maintaining a short outsole in position thereon;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the shoe and outsole receiving pressure in a gageless sole attaching press, the positioning device remaining in operative relation with the sole and shoe;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View partly in section of the heel portion of the shoe after the outsole has been attached thereto; and

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing a heel attached to the shoe bottom.

The illustrated device comprises a member it of flexible or resilient material such as fiber shaped substantially like the heel portion of a shoe and adapted to embrace said heel portion and to remain in such relation therewith by reason of the friction caused by its own pressure against the sides of the shoe. The resilient member I5 is provided around its upper edge, as seen in Fig. 1, or the edge that corresponds to the edge of the shoe bottom when the member is mounted thereon, with an inwardly extending flange l2 located substantially at right angles to the side portions of the member. Preferably, and as herein illustrated, the member Ii! may consist of an ordinary fiber counter stiifener which has been molded to conform in shape to the heel portion of a last and has been provided at its lower edge with the usual inturned flange for engaging the heel seat portion of the shoe bottom. The forward portions or wings M of the counter stiffener I0 are normally spaced apart a distance which corresponds approximately to the width of the heel portion of the shoe and, under normal conditions, these forward portions, if separated or spread apart, will tend to return to their original molded condition, owing to the inherent resiliency of the fibrous material forming the stiffener. Accordingly, when the resilient member I0 is mounted on the heel portion of a shoe B, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the forward portions M will press against the opposite sides of the shoe and cause the member to remain by friction in embracing relation therewith, thereby causing the member to become portable with the shoe.

The resilient member H) has secured to its flange [2 a substantially flat, heel shaped member l6 (Fig, 1) which is preferably composed of fibrous material and which may be secured to the flange by staples I8 or in any other usual manner, the staplesin the present case having been driven from the inner side of the flange and clinched against the outer surface of the flat member. It will be apparent that the member 16 could, however, be attached to the flange in other ways as, for example, by cement or stitches. The front edge face 2i of the member is straight and preferably coincides with the opposite ends of the flange 12, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted, moreover, that, since the member [6 spans the space inwardly of the flange and is connected to the opposite end portions thereof, it serves to limit the spread of the forward portions I4 of the resilient member H3 and thereby tends to hold it permanently in its molded condition. Consequently, the resilient member or counter stiffener 10 can be mounted successively on the heel portions of shoes without losing its original shape and also without diminishing any of the friction which holds the counter stiffener in embracing relation with the heel portion of the shoe.

The flat member i5 is provided with two transverse slits 22 and 24 located respectively at the forward and rear portions thereof. Extending through these slits is the shank portion of a clamping member 26 which, as illustrated in Fig. l, is preferably composed of a relatively thin,

flat strip 28 of metal which passes downwardly through the front slit 22 and upwardly through the rear slit 24 and has its inner portion bent over and down against the member Hi to secure the strip 28 to said member. The forward portion of the strip 28 projects forwardly of the member 15 and is turned upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, and provided with small teeth 35. This forward portion also has a pair of ears 32 between which is fulcrumed on a pin 34 an upper clamping member or jaw 36 the forward end of which is bent downwardly and is provided with teeth 38 which register with the lower teeth 30. The forward portion of the strip 28 and the member 36 together form a pair of clamping jaws arranged to grip the rear end of the short outsole A and hold it in position on the shoe bottom, as shown in Fig. 4.

The upper jaw is normally urged about its pivot 34 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, to maintain it in gripping relation with the lower jaw 28, by a torsion spring 40 surrounding the pin 34 and having its opposite ends engaging the members 28 and 35 respectively. The jaw 35 has an upwardly curved tail 42 at its rear end which may be depressed by the operator to open the jaws and permit them to grip the rear end of the outsole. The clamping means 25 is located substantially in the center of the resilient member or counter stiffener l0 and accordingly it will engage the rear end of the short outsole A at its central portion or between the opposite edge faces thereof.

Before explaining the operation of the positioning device in connection with the shoe and short outsole, a modification of the device, illustrated in Fig. 2, will be described. The modified device comprises a resilient member 44 of fibrous material molded to conform in shape to the heel portion of a shoe and provided with an inturned heel seat flange 4%, this member, as herein illustrated, being preferably a premolded and flanged counter stiffener of the conventional type. The forward portions or wings 48 of the counter stiffener are limited in their spreading movement by a pair of elongated fastenings or staple bars 55, 52 which span the space between the opposite ends of the flange 46 and are located in parallel relation to each other, the opposite ends of the staples beingclinched against the inner side of the flange. The staple bars and 52, therefore, serve to retain the counter stiffener in its premolded condition so that it may be used on successive shoes without danger of losing its shape or its shoe embracing friction.

A clamping member 54, of substantially the same construction as the clamping member 26, is mounted on the counter stiffener 44 by positioning the rear or shank portion 56 of the clamping member above the forward staple 50 and below the rear staple 52, this rear portion then extending rearwardly below the flange 46 and having its end turned upwardly through a transverse slit 58 in the flange 45 and bent downwardly again against the flange to retain the clamping member in position on the counter stiifener. The forward end of the clamping member 5d is provided with an upper jaw 65 fulcrumed on a transverse pin 62 extending between ears on the shank 56 and the forward ends of the jaws 56 and 69 are provided with gripping teeth 64. A spring (not shown) surrounds the pin 62 and normally urges the jaw into gripping relation with the lower jaw 56.

In the use of the device in positioning the short outsole A on the shoe B mounted on a last C, the resilient member I is mounted on the heel portion of the shoe so that it embraces the same and so that, owing to the friction of its forward or wing portions l4, it will remain in such relation therewith, thereby becoming portable with the shoe, the member I!) being positioned so that the heel seat flange l2 engages the shoe bottom and thereby locates the device heightwise of the shoe. The short outsole A, as indicated above, terminates in a straight edge face 66 (Fig. 4) a short distance rearwar-dly of the heel breast line of the shoe, this line being indicated in Fig. 4 by the numeral 68.

The inner or attaching surface of the outsole A will have had its marginal portion coated with a suitable cement such as pyroxylin which will have been allowed to dry and the outsole will be placed upon the shoe bottom by the operator in a proper position for its attachment to the shoe, this position being determined by the operator when he mounts the outsole on the shoe bottom. The rear end of the outsole A will be inserted between the gripping jaws 28, 36 of the clamping device 26 which will grip said rear end at a point between its opposite edge faces, as shown in Fig. 4, and will thereafter maintain the outsole in its predetermined position both laterally and longitudinally of the shoe bottom, thereby establishing such position. The forward portion of the outsole may now be raised away from the shoe bottom and the cement on its attaching surface activated by a solvent preparatory to the cement sole attaching operation, the solvent being applied, for example, by a brush ill. The outsole may then be returned into engagement with the shoe bottom and, since its proper position has already been established by the positioning device, its forward portions will return to their proper positions without any special care on the part of the operator.

After the cement has been activated, the outsole A and shoe B may be mounted in a cement sole attaching press or pad box 12 (Fig. which need not be provided with any special means for positioning the shoe and sole prior to the sole attaching operation, the pad box illustrated in Fig. 5 by way of example, being of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,093,773, granted November 9, 1937, upon an application filed in the name of William C. Card, Jr.

The pad box '52 is provided with a flexible pad 14 arranged to be inflated by fluid under pressure through an inlet pipe 76 connecting the pad with any suitable source of supply. The pad box is also provided with a longitudinal bow 18 extending over the shoe and carrying pressure sustaining abutments 80 and 82 for engaging respectively the forepart and heel portions of the shoe. The positioning device, as shown in Fig. 5, remains in operative relation With the heel portion of the shoe when the sole and shoe are mounted in the pad box and the clamping member 26 likewise remains in gripping relation with the rear end of the outsole A. Consequently, the positioning device not only establishes the predetermined position of the outsole A relatively to the shoe bottom to permit the outsole to be raised away from the shoe bottom so that the cement thereon can be activated, but it also serves as a portable positioning means adapted to remain in embracing relation with the shoe to insure that the outsole will be maintained in its predetermined position until after the outsole has been permanently attached to the shoe bottom in a cement sole attaching press or machine. After the cement has set, the shoe may be taken from the press together with the positioning device which may then be removed from its embracing relation with the shoe after first opening the clampin means 26.

Fig. 6 illustrates how the heel portion of the shoe will appear after the short outsole A has been cement attached in the manner described with the aid of the positioning device. It will be observed that the central portion of the rear end of the outsole A does not engage the shoe bottom but -is spaced therefrom, as indicated at 84, and it will be apparent .that this space at the intra-marginal portion of the rear end of the outsole was caused by the lower jaw of the clamping member 26 which, as shown in Fig. 4, extends between the rear end of the outsole and .the shoe bottom when the positioning device is located in operative relation to the shoe and sole. However, since short outsoles of the type herein disclosed are used with the special type of heel hereinbe-fore referred to having a forwardly projecting lip adapted to extend between the rear end of the outsole and the shoe bottom at the central portion thereof, the space 84 is desirable and intended for the purpose referred to.

Fig. '7 shows the shoe B with the special heel H attached to complete the shoe, the heel having a forwardly extending lip 86 at the upper end of its breast portion which enters the space 84 at the rear portion of the shoe and thereby reinforces the joint between the outsole and the breast of the heel. As mentioned above, the heel H is also provided with a transverse groove 88 below the lip 86 in which the rear portion of the short outsole is inserted, thereby further reinforcing the joint between the outsole and heel in a manner which characterizes such constructions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for use in positioning an outsole on a shoe bottom comprising a member adapted to embrace an end portion of the shoe and to remain in such relation therewith, and means carried by said member constructed and arranged to engage the inner and outer siufaces of the outsole in localities substantially midway between the lateral edges of the rear of its shank portion and thereby maintain the outsole in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom.

2. A device for use in positionin an outsole on a shoe bottom comprising a member adapted to embrace an end portion of the shoe and to remain by friction in such relation therewith, and means on said member constructed and arranged to engage .the inner and outer surfaces of the shank of the outsole at points centrally located with respect to the lateral edges thereof and by such engagement maintain the outsole in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom, said device being portable with the shoe and being arranged to remain in operative engagement therewith until .the outsole has been attached to the shoe bottom.

3. A device for use in positioing on a shoe bottom an outsole which does not cover the entire shoe bottom, said device comprising a resilient member adapted to embrace an end portion of the shoe and to remain by its inherent resiliency in embracing relation with said portion, and

clamping means carried by said member constructed and arranged to engage the inner and outer surfaces of the outsole between the opposite edge faces thereof and grip the outsole by such engagement, thereby holding the outsole in a predetermined position laterally and longitudinally of the shoe bottom.

4. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which extends only a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a resilient member portable with the shoe adapted to embrace the heel portion thereof and to remain in embracing relation with the shoe, and clamping means carried by said member constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the short outsole and maintain it in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom.

5. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe and has cement on its attaching surface, said device comprising a resilient member adapted to embrace the heel portion of the shoe and to remain by its own friction in such relation therewith, thereby becoming portable with the shoe, and clamping means carried by said embracing member constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the short outsole between the opposite edge faces thereof and maintain said outsole in a predetermined position relatively to the shoe bottom, thereby establishing said predetermined position, said clamping means being arranged to permit the forward portion of the outsole to be raised from the shoe bottom to have r the cement on its attaching surface activated without losing its established position.

6. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a resilient member adapted to embrace the heel portion of the shoe and remain by friction in such relation therewith, thereby becoming portable with the shoe, and clamping means carried by said member comprising a pair of spring pressed jaws constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the outsole between its opposite edge faces and maintain it in a predetermined position. laterally and longitudinally of the shoe bottom, thereby establishing said position prior to the attachment of the outsole to the shoe.

7. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe,

said device comprising a resilient member portable with the shoe adapted to embrace the heel portion thereof and to remain by friction in such relation therewith, clamping means carried by said member constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the short outsole and maintain said outsole in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom, thereby establishing said position, and means for securing said clamping means to the resilient member.

8. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a resilient member adapted to embrace the heel portion of the shoe and to remain in such position by the friction of its own pressure against the shoe, thereby becoming portable with the shoe, clamping means carried by said member comprising a pair of forwardly extending spring pressed jaws constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the outsole.

and maintain the outsole in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom, thereby establishing such position before the outsole is attached to the shoe bottom,.and means for securing said jaws in position on said resilient member.

9. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates in a straight edge facea short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a resilient member adapted to embrace the heel portion of the shoe and remain by friction in such relation therewith, thereby becoming portable with the shoe, clamping means mounted on the forward end of said member constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the short outsole and maintain it in a predetermined position relatively to the shoe bottom, thereby establishing such position, and means on said resilient member for positioning it heightwise of the shoe.

10. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a resilient member shaped to embrace the heel portion of the shoe and to remain by its inherent resiliency in such relation therewith, said member having an inturned flange on its lower edge arranged to engage the bottom of the shoe and position the resilient member heightwise thereof, and clamping means carried by said member constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the outsole and maintain said outsole in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom.

11. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a resilient member shaped to embrace the heel portion of the shoe and to remain in such position by the friction of its own pressure against the shoe, thereby becoming portable with the shoe, said member having an inwardly extending flange around its lower edge arranged to engage the shoe bottom and position said member heightwise of the shoe, clamping means mounted on said member constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the outsole and maintain it in a predetermined position laterally and longitudinally of the shoe, and means on said flange for securing the clamping means to said resilient member.

12. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a resilient member shaped to embrace the heel end of the shoe and to remain by friction in such relation therewith, thereby becoming portable with the shoe, means carried by said member constructed and arranged to grip the rear portion of the outsole between its opposite edge faces and maintain it in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom, and means for limiting the spread of the forward portions of said resilient member to permit it to embrace successive shoes with undiminished friction.

13. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a premolded and flanged counter stiffener adapted to embrace the heel portion of the shoe and to remain by its own friction in such relation therewith, the flange on said counter stiffener engaging the shoe bottom and positioning the stiffener heightwise of the shoe, means on said flange for limiting the spread of the forward portions of the counter stifiener, thereby enabling said stiffener to engage successive shoes without losing its embracing friction, and clamping means carried by said stiffener and secured thereto by engagement with said limiting means, said clamping means being constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of said outsole and maintain it in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom until the outsole has been attached to the shoe.

14. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a resilient member shaped to embrace the heel portion of the shoe and to remain by friction in such relation therewith, thereby becoming portable with the shoe, a flange around the lower edge of said member extending inwardly thereof, said flange serving to position the resilient member heightwise of the heel portion of the shoe by engagement with its bottom surface, a flat member secured to said flange and acting to limit spreading movement of the forward ends of said resilient member at opposite sides of the shoe, thereby permitting said member to embrace successive shoes with undiminished friction, and clamping means carried by said resilient member and secured thereto by engagement with said flat member, said clamping means comprising a pair of spring pressed jaws constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the outsole between its opposite edge faces and maintain said outsole in a predetermined position on the shoe bottom until the outsole has been permanently attached to the shoe.

15. A device for use in positioning on a shoe bottom an outsole which terminates a short distance rearwardly of the heel breast line of the shoe, said device comprising a resilient member shaped to embrace the heel portion of the shoe and to remain by its own friction in such relation therewith, thereby becoming portable with the shoe, a flange projecting inwardly from the lower edge of said member, said flange serving to position the member heightwise of the shoe by engagement with the bottom surface thereof,

clamping means on said member constructed and arranged to grip the rear end of the outsole by engagement with its inner and outer surfaces and maintain the outsole in a predetermined position laterally and longitudinally of the shoe bottom until after the outsole has been attached to the shoe, and means secured to said flange for supporting said clamping means on said resilient member, said means spanning at least the forward ends of the flange and thereby serving also to limit the spread of the forward portions of said resilient member so that it may operate on successive shoes with undiminished friction.

16. A device for use in attaching short outsoles to shoes comprising a resilient member shaped to conform to the exterior of the heel portion of the upper of a shoe and constructed and arranged to be held by friction in fixed embracing relation to said portion of the upper, and a member carried by said resilient member constructed and arranged to extend between the bottom of the shoe and the rear portion of a short outsole positioned on the shoe bottom and to hold said portion of the outsole out of contact with the shoe bottom during the operation of attaching the outsole to the shoe.

17. A device for use in attaching short outsoles to shoes comprising means constructed and arranged to embrace the back part of a shoe, and a tongue carried by said embracing means and constructed and arranged to extend between the bottom of the shoe and the intra-marginal portion only of the rear end of a short outsole positioned upon the shoe bottom so as to hold said portion of the outsole out of contact with the shoe bottom While permitting the lateral margins of the rear end of the outsole to be pressed into contact with the shoe bottom in the process of outsole attaching.

WILLIAM M. AL'IENBURG. 

